A really big day in Texas history.  In 1835, the first “battle” of the Texas Revolution was fought at Gonzalez.

When Gen. Ugartechea, the Mexican military commander in Texas, learned that colonists in Gonzales had refused to surrender a small cannon that had been given to them to ward off attacks by Native Americans, he ordered Francisco de Castaneda and 100 dragoons under his command to seize it.  Hoping to avoid escalating the already tense relations between the Texas colonists and Santa Anna, Ugartechea ordered Castañeda to use force if necessary but to avoid conflict if possible.

When Castaneda reached the Guadalupe River opposite Gonzales, he found the ford impassable because of high water and was confronted by eighteen militiamen.  Unable to enter Gonzalez, Castañeda pitched camp near the ford. He later moved his camp 7 miles upriver when he received word that the Texan colonists were amassing a number of volunteers.

On October 1, the Texan colonists crossed the Guadalupe and marched upriver toward Castañeda’s new camp. On the morning of October 2 they attacked, Castaneda immediately ordered his men to fall back to a more defensible position behind the camp.

At one point, Castañeda arranged a parley with Texan commander  J. H. Moore.   Castañeda inquired why he had been attacked without provocation.  Moore answered that the Texans were fighting to keep the cannon and uphold the Constitution of 1824. Castaneda explained that he was a Federalist and personally opposed to the policies of Santa Anna.  He told Moore that he did not want to fight Moore’s men and only wanted to reclaim the Cannon.  Moore invited Castañeda to join them in fighting for the Constitution of 1824. Castaneda was unable to do so because as a soldier he was required to follow his orders and not engage in politics.  Unable to reach an agreement, the fighting resumed after the commanders returned to their positions.

Looking at the situation, Castaneda ordered a withdrawal to San Antonio.  In his later report, Castañeda stated that “since the orders from your Lordship were for me to withdraw without compromising the honor of Mexican arms, I did so.”  Despite Castañeda’s efforts to avoid war, the minor skirmish at Gonzales is now viewed as the breaking point that led to war between the American colonists and the Mexican government